HURRY UP AND WAIT DAY

HURRY UP AND WAIT DAY

We were down to breakfast for nine and enjoyed another glass of champagne before indulging in a delicious meal. Our large suitcases were taken from our room at 11:00 and we went down at noon to check out and leave our carry-ons in storage.

We decided to take another gander through the Jewish Quarter on the advice of the concierge. There is one street where a memorial names the individuals who were taken by the Germans across from their addresses. Each plaque names the individuals, their age, the death camp they were taken to and their date of death. Very moving. We noticed other plaques set into the sidewalks of the Jewish Quarter that also carried the same information. Another installation that covered an urn that holds ashes of some of the victims of Auschwitz consisted of large cracked mirror pieces that reflect the sky and explained the artist's reasoning for his work. We were upset that the sculpture was in what appeared to be an unauthorized dog park and the mirrors needed a good cleaning.

Before we knew it, it was time to return to the hotel for our trip to the riverboat. A bus picked us up at the hotel and after a drive about 25 minutes we were at our boat. We were assigned our room keys and ushered into our suite. At first glance, we didn't think we had enough room, but with some judicious management, we are almost unpacked. We go for a safety briefing at 5:30, then time to dress for cocktails and dinner. We discovered that we have a 300 Euro credit for on board use - massage, spa treatments, shopping. We won't let it go to waste!

We haven't met anyone yet but I am sure that will change. I think everyone else is a couple - so far we seem to be the only unattached people on board. We'll see.

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